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AIBU?

To wonder if you judge people who work in "crap" jobs, and if so why?

354 replies

ReallyThough100 · 16/03/2018 15:17

So, cleaners, dishwashers, fast food workers. Jobs seen as "dead end" and a bit shit. I have a job people think this about, and it often shows unfortunately (outside of work more than in it).
Aibu to ask, do you judge people who do this and what's the reasoning behind it?

OP posts:
ReallyThough100 · 16/03/2018 15:17

To be clear, by do this I mean work in a job seen as "crap".

OP posts:
TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 16/03/2018 15:18

No I don’t.

IanRushesInadequateFlushes · 16/03/2018 15:19

No.

I would judge people who judge them though. Harshly!

sircoconut · 16/03/2018 15:19

No I don't - I've been a cleaner and fast food worker.

iklboo · 16/03/2018 15:20

Absolutely not.

ClareFoy · 16/03/2018 15:21

I’m with ianrush I remember Guy Garvey saying he was cleaning toilets once, and some woman was very rude to him; treated him like dirt.
You should never judge.
The job doesn’t define the person.

Camomila · 16/03/2018 15:22

No...sometimes I have a passing thought like I wonder if the bar staff are students or I think I'd quite like to work on the check out at Waitrose as a nice p/t 'mum job'. But other than that I don't think I judge.

Bluntness100 · 16/03/2018 15:24

No, it wouldn't even occur to me. I would judge, but I would judge their personality. Potentially also how they present themselves ie clean tidy etc. Not what they do for a living though, no.

How does it show outside work what you do? I don't understand that.

Astrabees · 16/03/2018 15:24

No, I'm generally very impressed by how friendly and efficient they are. Cleaners in particular have my admiration as I'm not very good at it and no matter how hard I try there are always crumbs, bits and streaky finishes all over the place. Both my sons worked in "crap" jobs while they were students, age 16 - 21 so if I see a young person in such a job I tend to assume they are highly intelligent and it is just a part time job. With older people it may be just redundancy or the need for a less demanding job following burn out.

SnibbleAgain · 16/03/2018 15:24

I like to think I don't.

I think that a lot of people do though.

I judge a system that is so inequitable in terms of reward, and that it's women who often seem to end up at the "crapper" end of things.

I think if people are doing crap jobs and you have a good job it can make you feel less guilty if you don't really consider the people doing the crap jobs as "real people" the same as you? I think this is how people deal with the impact of living in massively unequal capitalist societies maybe?

Purpledahlia88 · 16/03/2018 15:25

I don't, as I've worked in those jobs before and experienced the feeling you get when you know someone looks down on you.

katmarie · 16/03/2018 15:26

I don't judge anyone who goes out to work, if you're working and earning a living, I don't think anyone has the right to judge the job you do. I've done my share of crap jobs, bar work, fast food, waitressing etc. it really pisses me off when you're looked down upon for trying to earn a living, especially when you're providing a service. And isn't it funny how the majority of crap jobs are providing people with a service.

SnibbleAgain · 16/03/2018 15:26

I have seen some of my work mates behave what I think is very badly at work dinners and stuff, talking to the people waiting table like servants, I told one of them off lol. He said something just like "More red" to the woman who was coming around with puddings, no please or anything, didn't even look at her, and before I could stop myself I said "It's right in front of you, get it yourself". Oops not oops. Luckily he wasn't my boss!

ClareFoy · 16/03/2018 15:27

If you ever listen to Desert Islsnd Discs, there are people on there at the top of their field.
Some of them have done so called unskilled jobs whilst studying, etc.
But even if you do such jobs all of your working life it does not mean that is all there is to you.

I know some people who live in outer London who live in a house worth £1.2m (ok I know that’s not palatial for LS but still nice family home).
He is a skilled craftsman. They do cleaning and gardening at the weekends to supplement their income. It would be a mistake to make assumptions about the way they live and their quality of life.

SluttyButty · 16/03/2018 15:27

I don’t no and I’ve done said job types because they paid the bills and fitted in with how our lives were at the time. But yes other people definitely judge in my experience and look down their noses at you. That’s their problem though, not mine.

sexnotgender · 16/03/2018 15:29

Nope, I’ve worked in retail and hospitality.

Why would I judge people working to pay their bills? What a weird idea.

NotAllTimsWearCapes · 16/03/2018 15:29

I’m a cleaner. I know there are people who look down on that and judge but I actually dont care. Why? Because I love my job. I’m very good at it, I am my own boss, I set my own hours and rates and get to pick who I clean for. There are plenty of people working as solicitors or doctors or teachers who hate their job and are at breaking point with the pressure they are under. I don’t have that. I feel pretty lucky. I can be at home for my children in the afternoon and holidays. My wage mightn’t be as big as other jobs but it’s over minimum wage and there are plenty of minimum wage jobs that are far worse than cleaning not very dirty houses.

SnibbleAgain · 16/03/2018 15:29

It's true about service industry, you can get same level of crapness in an office for eg but that isn't looked at quite the same way.

Is it to do with doing things directly for others being seen as being like a servant and this is some kind of weird victorian hangover that we all want to aspire out of the servant class into the new middle class!

newmumwithquestions · 16/03/2018 15:30

Hmmm. If I’m honest I do a bit. Well maybe not judge exactly, but I do wonder why someone is doing it.

I’ve done a lot of ‘crap’ jobs (literally sometimes - cleaning toilets in a hotel after a stag do anyone?). But it was as a student/immediately after graduation.

In the area I live there are a lot of jobs, so it’s relatively easy to get one that gives you some kind of career prospects, so if I know someone has been in a ‘crap’ job for years I do sometimes wonder why.

MeanTangerine · 16/03/2018 15:30

LOADS of people do. I had such a job for a long time. It functioned as a superb twat detector. I was highly educated but working NMW. 99% of people assumed I was thick.
I think people do it because they like to categorise new people as quickly as possible, and having silly ideas about different jobs helps you do that. Sometimes insecure people look down on others to make themselves feel better. Sometimes people really are that egotistical.

fitbitbore · 16/03/2018 15:31

Every job is important! I sometimes think god I couldn't do that job for those wages but I would and I take my hat off to all who work on low pay and long hours to get by!

crazycatgal · 16/03/2018 15:32

No I never would, every job is important. I judge those who are able to work but choose not to.

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ReallyThough100 · 16/03/2018 15:37

Interesting you say that crazy, I've never claimed benefits (but never wore that as a badge of pride either, i just wasn't eligible) but I think I was judged a lot less when I was unemployed. It's a shame really as I am quite happy with my job and future prospects, don't get me wrong lots of people are positive but I do also notice strangers, acquaintences and friends turning their nose up a bit.

OP posts:
GetoutofthatGarden · 16/03/2018 15:37

No I wouldn't judge. I admire anybody who goes and does a days work, no matter what the job is.

hairycoo · 16/03/2018 15:37

I dont, only because i have done them/still do them occasionally. I imagine that some of the people that judge have had pretty gilded lifestyles, happy comfortable childhoods, straight through uni with parents money to support them and into a nice professional job. Which is great for them, but if that is all you know and you dont have the empathy/common sense to realise that not everyone has had such privileges then I guess it would be easy to judge others.

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